1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric connector with a locking mechanism, which locks the connector body when the body is inserted in a receiving recess of a counterpart connector, by inserting a protrusion provided on a side wall of the body into a fitting hole made in the receiving recess, so as to prevent inadvertent withdrawal of the body.
2. Related Art
Japanese Patent Gazette 2888925 discloses an electric connector with a locking mechanism, wherein the electric connector comprises a body to be inserted into a receiving recess of a counterpart electric connector, and a locking element which extends outside the body in the direction of insertion and withdrawal and contacts with the external wall of the body at a pivot point, and the locking element is provided with protrusions rising in a direction of going away from the side wall of the body at the front end of the locking element in the direction of insertion and withdrawal. When the body of this electric connector with a locking mechanism is inserted into a receiving recess of a counterpart electric connector, the protrusions of the locking element will fit into the fitting holes of the receiving recess of the counterpart electric connector and the electric connector with a locking mechanism will be locked on to the counterpart electric connector. When the electric connector with a locking mechanism is to be withdrawn from the counterpart electric connector, the rear end of the locking element in the direction of insertion and withdrawal is held to shift the locking element towards the body. Then the protrusions of the locking element will come off the fitting holes of the receiving recess of the counterpart electric connector, allowing the withdrawal of the electric connector with a locking mechanism.
In the case of the above-mentioned conventional electric connector with a locking mechanism, when the electric connector with a locking mechanism is to be withdrawn from a counterpart electric connector, the entire locking element is shifted towards the body. Hence the amount of shift of the protrusions which is needed to withdraw the protrusions from the fitting holes is the amount of operation of the locking element. Accordingly, when the dimensional relationships between the protrusions and the fitting holes are set, the amount of operation of the locking element will be set singularly. Moreover, because of its construction, the resistance against the operation required for moving the locking element can not be adjusted. However, as electric connectors with a locking mechanism are used in a variety of modes, it had been keenly desired to achieve free setting of the amount of operation and the operation resistance of the locking element according to a desired mode of use.
The present invention was made in view of these points, and its objective is to provide an electric connector with a locking mechanism, wherein a portion starting from an operating part up to the protrusion is constituted with a plurality of members, and the amount of operation and the operation resistance of the operating part can be set freely according to the mode of use by changing the configuration, position, etc. of a cam face provided on one of these members.
To accomplish the above-mentioned objective, the electric connector with a locking mechanism according to the present invention comprises a body to be inserted into a receiving recess of a counterpart electric connector, a flexible arm, of which a root end is provided on a side wall of the body, said flexible arm extending outside the body in the direction of insertion and withdrawal and being provided with a protrusion, which rises in a direction of going away from the side wall of the body and fits into a fitting hole of the receiving recess of the counterpart electric connector, a slider being provided in such a way that it extends outside the body in the direction of insertion and withdrawal, overlaps with the arm in the direction of going away from the side wall of the body and can slide over the body in the direction of insertion and withdrawal, and an operating lever being rotatably provided on the arm or the body in such a way that the top end thereof comes out on the rear face side of the body and being coupled with the slider in such a way that when the operating lever is rotated, the slider will be slid, at least either said arm or said slider being provided with a cam face which is inclined in such a way that its distance from the side wall of the body changes along the direction of insertion and withdrawal and makes the arm flex according to the sliding of the slider so that the protrusion comes closer to the side wall of the body.
When the body of this electric connector with a locking mechanism is inserted into the receiving recess of a counterpart electric connector, the protrusion will be fitted into the fitting hole of the receiving recess of the counterpart electric connector due to the flexibility of the arm, and the electric connector with a locking mechanism will be locked onto the counterpart electric connector. When the electric connector with a locking mechanism is to be withdrawn from the counterpart electric connector, the operating lever will be rotated. Then the slider will be slid, and due to a guiding function of the cam face, the arm will be flexed and the protrusion will be brought closer to the side wall of the body and will be withdrawn from the fitting hole of the receiving recess of the counterpart electric connector. Then the electric connector with a locking mechanism can be withdrawn. In that case, the amount of operation and/or the resistance against operation of the operating lever can be set freely by changing the distance from the root end of the arm to the protrusion, the distance from the root end to the cam face or a part which contacts the cam face, the inclination of the cam face, etc.
In the electric connector with a locking mechanism according to the present invention, as its portion from the operating part to the protrusion is constituted with a plurality of members and the configuration, position, etc. of the cam face provided on one of these members can be altered, the amount of operation and the operation resistance of the operating part can be set freely according to the mode of use, and in turn, the electric connector with a locking mechanism can be used in a variety of modes of use.